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Online Entertainment

Apple reportedly has decided to put more than $1 billion toward the acquisition and development of original programming, part of a long-awaited rollout of a new television and film experience. The investment will leverage Apple’s thus far underwhelming Apple TV business, bolstering its core video and music library to fulfill the promise of disrupting traditional television and film studios.

Video streaming service Plex on Thursday announced the availability of a beta version of its Plex Live TV. The live-TV streaming launch follows last year’s introduction of the Plex DVR, which provides users with free over-the-air access to 86 of Nielsen’s 100 most watched shows in the United States. Plex Live TV currently is available only on Android TV and iOS devices.

Hulu has announced a new live-streaming television service for $39.99 per month, which will place the company in direct competition with newly launched services from DirecTV Now, YouTube and other OTT content providers. The Hulu with Live TV beta will offer 50 channels of live-streaming television — including sports, news, entertainment, children’s programming and local network affiliates.

Amazon on Wednesday rolled out its Music Unlimited cut-rate subscription streaming service, available on its Echo, Echo Dot and Amazon Tap devices for as little as $4 a month for a single device. Setting a low-entry price point “is a logical move, given that the company has invested heavily into the AI and voice recognition powering Alexa,” said IHS Markit analyst Paul Erickson.